Days of Travel : 3Days/3Nights (Included travel period)
Budget
: Php 7,500.00 (Included pasalubong, cheaper if you are in group of 3pax)
Airline : Cebu
Pacific Airline
Ticket Fare :
Php 1,250.00 Round Trip for one (Piso fare)
Type of Travel :
Backpackers
Flying Hours : 45 minutes to 1 hour
Flying Hours : 45 minutes to 1 hour
This trip was totally unplanned. My sister and I have been
wanting to get-out of our province even just for a day or two. We were not
aware that there was a Piso fare promo in Cebupacific Airline when we checked
out their website.
Lucky enough in just few minutes we were booked! And we
dragged along my other friend to join us in our Cagayan De Oro Adventure
trip!
Day 1.
We flew from Zamboanga
International Airport
to Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan De Oro. It was an
early flight but we were full of energy because we were looking forward to
exciting activities! And this how our first day began..
Straight from the airport we checked in at Will’s Place for only Php 650.00/night.
Our accommodation is a Deluxe Room that is already good for 3 persons; it has 1
Matrimonial Bed and 1 Single Bed. It is clean, comfortable and the location is
very convenient to the city’s mall and night stores that are ideal for
chilling. Free use of Wifi and the rooms are new! I found about this hotel through the internet and with just one call,
we are booked!
Our first activity was the Water
Rafting. Again, I searched in the internet and found 1st
White Water Adventure. They offer Php 1,000.00 per person which
includes transporation and (1) meal. A jeep will fetch you from the hotel and
proceeds to the location. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to the
starting point of the river.
We left at 1pm and headed
directly. The experience was truly a story-to-tell! We thought the rafting will
only last for an hour but to our surprise from the starting point to the end of
our adventure is a total of 3 hours rafting! Sulit na sulit ang p1k!
The rafting was so fun because of
the guides, they were very entertaining! All in all the rafting has 21 rapids
so it is advisable to either bring your nicest under water cam/waterproof cam or
just rent a camera from the guides to make sure that you have captured all
great memories you have during the rafting. Even now that I am writing I can
still feel the fun and excitement! The guide will also take a picture of you
using their camera for only Php 350.00. They will email you the photos and the
CD which can also be claimed from their office. But since we no longer have enough time to
claim the photos we asked them to send it to our email. Do not forget to bring towel and some extra clothes, you will surely get wet! I recommend you to wear something long and avoid shorts and sleeveless, there are too many rocks that you can stumbled upon. The guide will also let you experience to drop-off from the raft and that will give you the best experience. Though there's a bigger chance that you will get drown but you'll be safe because you have a life jacket. :)
After the rafting we took a quick shower and rested for half an hour before we headed-out to the night market. During our rest at the hotel we have experienced an earthquake and we ran out from the hotel with the fear that the building may collapse. But thank God it was just a quake.
Take a walk at night in CDO's Market.
From there you can just simply walk from the hotel to the Divisoria, Ukay-Ukay, and Food outlets! You do not have to worry about the security. The Bomb Squads and Police are visible in the area. Most of the tourist attraction within the city can be visited by walking.
Day 2.
After the rafting we took a quick shower and rested for half an hour before we headed-out to the night market. During our rest at the hotel we have experienced an earthquake and we ran out from the hotel with the fear that the building may collapse. But thank God it was just a quake.
Take a walk at night in CDO's Market.
From there you can just simply walk from the hotel to the Divisoria, Ukay-Ukay, and Food outlets! You do not have to worry about the security. The Bomb Squads and Police are visible in the area. Most of the tourist attraction within the city can be visited by walking.
Day 2.
We were scheduled to go to the famous attraction in CDO the Dahilayan Adventure Park, we left the hotel at 7:30am. It's a long drive and so to save time, it is best to buy breakfast and some snacks while on the road. Before we flew to CDO my sister already researched in the internet about the park and found a promo for Php 2,500.00/person. Check out heir website https://www.dahilayanadventurepark.com/ . This actually already affordable, why? Because in the package includes:
- Zipline and Drop Zone
- 1 snack and 1 Lunch
- 1 Private Car and a driver that will take you from the hotel all the way to Dahilayan Park.
The ride to Dahilayan Adventure Park is 1 hour and 30 minutes. Along the way you will see the wide plantation of Delmonte Pineapple and many other fruits plantations like Bananas and Strawberries. The park is actually not in CDO, it is already located in Bukidnon Mountains.
The one of a kind experience that we encountered in Dahilayan is the Drop Zone! If you want to feel you are truly alive, this ride is the best adreline feeling! Way more better than the Zipline. Just hold your breath and make to open your eyes during the drop off and you're off to go to the extreme adventure! The Superman Zip line was a good ride too, it is as if you were just flying! While doing the ride I thought of KC Conception and Sam Milby because this is where they shoot their movie Forever and a day.
It would be best to go the park early to avoid long queue in the rides. We saved a lot of time since we were one of the few who came and tried all the rides before the place were full of tourists and families who are having a weekend off.
The people in Dahilayan are friendly and very accommodating. We had a nice fine and elegant lunch at Pine Grove Mountain Lodge. The restaurant has a beautiful scenery of the place, the weather was cold but the ambiance was warm. We had Baby back ribs and a cold ice tea which are all included in the package! I suggest, if you can afford to stay at-least for a night at Dahilayan it would be great for you to enjoy the cold fresh air of the forest.
What made me say that the Dahilayan package is already a good deal? Because aside from the nice meal, rides and transportation, you have all th chance to stop at the Pineapple Plantation and Bukidnon to take some pictures. You can also drop by the Pasalubong Center of the Delmonte Farm. All in all it took us more than half day for the trip.
When we got back, instead of going back to the hotel we went directly to Limketkai Mall. It is the first and famous mall in CDO even though there are other famous malls like SM and Ayala Mall. This is where we bought our I love CDO shirts, my collection. The T-shirt costs about Php 120-150.00, depends on how you bargain. And some souvenirs for pasalubong. There also local delicacies that you can find here, all in an affordable price.
Day 3.
Actually, from CDO you can have a day tour to Camiguin. But because of our early morning flight the next day we decided no to go, instead we called our driver in Dahilyan since he offers a package trip to Maria Cristina Falls and Tinago Falls in Iligan and quick stop to the famous Divine Mercy.
While everyone is back to school, we on the other hand are on our way to Tinago Falls and Maria Cristina Falls! We rented the car and the driver for Php 3,500.00 which includes the Gasoline and the driver's fee. You can however ask the driver to bring you to the Divine Mercy without any extra charges. The ride from CDO to Iligan will take you 2 hours maximum to reach to the city proper, but you won't notice the long drive due to the scenery along the way.
Our first stop of the day is the Tinago Falls, there's an entrance fee of Php 5.00/person and for the Life Jacket Php 20.00/person. They will require you to wear a life jacket because they have several incidents that some are drowned due to strong current. Upon arriving at Tinago Falls, there's a local guide who can assist you all through your time in the Falls and it is up to you how much you will give to them and it is your choice whether you need one. But I suggest you need one becuase they can be really helpful and fun! They can tell you the histories and some stories that may scare you and inspire you. The guides will ask as your "Knight in Shining Armor" and your photographer. It will be hard to get on top of the falls because of the strong impact of the wate, so you need them!
There is an available Bamboo Raft that will take you to the falls for only Php 10.00/rental. The raft can be really fun to use! The water was cold and it gives a light feeling in your skin because they say the water was full of minerals. There's a small water hole where you can take a bath like the olden days. The Bathroom is not well-maintained so it is important to bring a towel or 'malong' to cover you while changing.
The Maria Cristina Falls is just 10-15 minutes drive from Tinago Falls. For Php 35.00/person and only Php 25.00 for students, you can visit the place and take some pictures!
To maximize your rent-a-car, drop by at the Divine Mercy for a great view of the city. I can compare the place at the Budha in Hongkong. Take time to meditate before heading back to the buzzing city of CDO, since it's a good place to do so. You only have to pay Php 30.00 for the car parking and some donations. Before entering, they will require you to wear something long if you are not wearing pants they already have an available 'sarong' long skirts at the entrance.
There different colors of candles available inside the Divine Mercy, each colors represnt love, friendship, fortune, career etc. If you light a red candle means love, if you light a pink candle means career.
After a day trip to Iligan and the Divine Mercy, we were back at the hotel and fixed our things for our trip back to Zamboanga. But we won't let the night pass without us having a good meal and some chill drinks to celebrate an awesome trip in Cagayan De Oro!
So they you go, a short trip budget trip that can ease you stress. Leave some comments if you need more details about this trip!
- Zipline and Drop Zone
- 1 snack and 1 Lunch
- 1 Private Car and a driver that will take you from the hotel all the way to Dahilayan Park.
The ride to Dahilayan Adventure Park is 1 hour and 30 minutes. Along the way you will see the wide plantation of Delmonte Pineapple and many other fruits plantations like Bananas and Strawberries. The park is actually not in CDO, it is already located in Bukidnon Mountains.
The one of a kind experience that we encountered in Dahilayan is the Drop Zone! If you want to feel you are truly alive, this ride is the best adreline feeling! Way more better than the Zipline. Just hold your breath and make to open your eyes during the drop off and you're off to go to the extreme adventure! The Superman Zip line was a good ride too, it is as if you were just flying! While doing the ride I thought of KC Conception and Sam Milby because this is where they shoot their movie Forever and a day.
It would be best to go the park early to avoid long queue in the rides. We saved a lot of time since we were one of the few who came and tried all the rides before the place were full of tourists and families who are having a weekend off.
The people in Dahilayan are friendly and very accommodating. We had a nice fine and elegant lunch at Pine Grove Mountain Lodge. The restaurant has a beautiful scenery of the place, the weather was cold but the ambiance was warm. We had Baby back ribs and a cold ice tea which are all included in the package! I suggest, if you can afford to stay at-least for a night at Dahilayan it would be great for you to enjoy the cold fresh air of the forest.
What made me say that the Dahilayan package is already a good deal? Because aside from the nice meal, rides and transportation, you have all th chance to stop at the Pineapple Plantation and Bukidnon to take some pictures. You can also drop by the Pasalubong Center of the Delmonte Farm. All in all it took us more than half day for the trip.
When we got back, instead of going back to the hotel we went directly to Limketkai Mall. It is the first and famous mall in CDO even though there are other famous malls like SM and Ayala Mall. This is where we bought our I love CDO shirts, my collection. The T-shirt costs about Php 120-150.00, depends on how you bargain. And some souvenirs for pasalubong. There also local delicacies that you can find here, all in an affordable price.
Day 3.
Actually, from CDO you can have a day tour to Camiguin. But because of our early morning flight the next day we decided no to go, instead we called our driver in Dahilyan since he offers a package trip to Maria Cristina Falls and Tinago Falls in Iligan and quick stop to the famous Divine Mercy.
While everyone is back to school, we on the other hand are on our way to Tinago Falls and Maria Cristina Falls! We rented the car and the driver for Php 3,500.00 which includes the Gasoline and the driver's fee. You can however ask the driver to bring you to the Divine Mercy without any extra charges. The ride from CDO to Iligan will take you 2 hours maximum to reach to the city proper, but you won't notice the long drive due to the scenery along the way.
Our first stop of the day is the Tinago Falls, there's an entrance fee of Php 5.00/person and for the Life Jacket Php 20.00/person. They will require you to wear a life jacket because they have several incidents that some are drowned due to strong current. Upon arriving at Tinago Falls, there's a local guide who can assist you all through your time in the Falls and it is up to you how much you will give to them and it is your choice whether you need one. But I suggest you need one becuase they can be really helpful and fun! They can tell you the histories and some stories that may scare you and inspire you. The guides will ask as your "Knight in Shining Armor" and your photographer. It will be hard to get on top of the falls because of the strong impact of the wate, so you need them!
There is an available Bamboo Raft that will take you to the falls for only Php 10.00/rental. The raft can be really fun to use! The water was cold and it gives a light feeling in your skin because they say the water was full of minerals. There's a small water hole where you can take a bath like the olden days. The Bathroom is not well-maintained so it is important to bring a towel or 'malong' to cover you while changing.
The Maria Cristina Falls is just 10-15 minutes drive from Tinago Falls. For Php 35.00/person and only Php 25.00 for students, you can visit the place and take some pictures!
To maximize your rent-a-car, drop by at the Divine Mercy for a great view of the city. I can compare the place at the Budha in Hongkong. Take time to meditate before heading back to the buzzing city of CDO, since it's a good place to do so. You only have to pay Php 30.00 for the car parking and some donations. Before entering, they will require you to wear something long if you are not wearing pants they already have an available 'sarong' long skirts at the entrance.
There different colors of candles available inside the Divine Mercy, each colors represnt love, friendship, fortune, career etc. If you light a red candle means love, if you light a pink candle means career.
After a day trip to Iligan and the Divine Mercy, we were back at the hotel and fixed our things for our trip back to Zamboanga. But we won't let the night pass without us having a good meal and some chill drinks to celebrate an awesome trip in Cagayan De Oro!
So they you go, a short trip budget trip that can ease you stress. Leave some comments if you need more details about this trip!
